BRUNICO – The breakaway arrives for the second time in a row, with Simon Carr winning the final stage of the Trentino race. Ineos, on the other hand, takes home this edition of the Tour of the Alps, the grenadiers cross the finish line all together, aligned and serious. With a nice gesture of Tao Geoghegan Hart who pats Thomas on the shoulder once the finish line is crossed.
Above the flagship, these days, there was Matteo Tosatto, which is approaching the umpteenth Tour of Italy driving the Ineos Grenadiers. When talking about the English team, it is impossible not to include them among the favourites for the Corsa RosaThe weeks until the start of the Giro are getting shorter and shorter, and tensions are rising among fans and professionals. After winning the general classification at Tour of the Alps all eyes will be even more on the British team.
Tosatto, this Tour of the Alps did he give any initial answers?
Probably yes, the guys who ran here had all done a training camp at altitude in the previous weeks, we knew we would arrive in good condition. So (geoghegan hart, ed.) won the first two stages, was in the jersey from the first to the last day and I think he is in great shape.
Has any more information arrived in recent days?
The situation is very clear, the main thing now is to recover in view of the Giro. The hierarchies are also certain: Geoghegan Hart is in excellent form and Thomas is improving day by day, they will be our captains at the Giro d'Italia.
Geoghegan Hart has been going strong, can we say you've found him again?
This year has been very regular, From February to today he has always stood out, he is acquiring excellent formEven though the Giro is still a long way off, especially in the final week, we must stay calm and make the best selection.
Lots of climbing and lots of effort here in Trentino...
Il Tour of the Alps It's always a great ride for us, There are short but challenging stages that give us a big hand in preparing for the Giro to the best.
The Giro route is unusual, with three somewhat atypical time trials.
Everyone says it's three time trials, but I only consider it two. The last one is a timed climb very difficult, with a real climb to do on the twentieth day of the raceThe first two time trials are suitable for our guys if you think about it. However, I feel like saying that with the level they're at, they won't be able to make much of a difference.
How did you find the other stages?
Challenging, the last week is really tough. But even before that, it's no joke. the thirteenth stage, with arrival in Crans Montana, includes two long climbs where the altitude is high. There, we can make the difference; I think it will be an open Giro for many riders.
Where can you win this Giro?
The Giro d'Italia, in general, is won and lost uphill, you have to be ready for the challenging stages and knowing how to suffer when it is necessary.
Have you already highlighted any stages?
We've done some reconnaissance, I think we need to start well and stay away from danger. The first watershed stage will be Crans Montana and the last week in totalThe boys will face some truly challenging climbs, and history teaches us that in the final days, the Giro can be lost anywhere, even on a five percent climb.
The route is very close to the characteristics of Arensmann, your latest purchase, how will you manage it?
It's his first year with us and it's not easy to adapt to the working methods of a new team. He spent the first part of the season running in support of his teammates, certainly, as we were saying, doing the Giro alongside Thomas will be useful for him. It's an important experience to complete and he'll have the opportunity to learn a lot. He's also grown as the stages have gone by, he's had some post-altitude problems.
Unlike last year, will you be showing up with more than one captain?
It is essential to have a “spare card”. Doing a Giro to try to win it with three or four captains is difficultHowever, I think having two guys starting at the same level is important. Then the road will tell who's the strongest, and the hierarchies will be decided together with them and the staff.
You have two riders, Thomas and Geoghegan Hart, who have already won Grand Tours. How important is it to have this kind of experience?
It will definitely be a strong point for us, starting with a rider who has already won a Tour de France (Thomas, ed.) and the other one who has won the Giro (Geoghegan Hart, ed.) It makes us feel more at ease when managing the raceThen I repeat, it will be the legs that will make the difference, we'll see how we get to the crucial moments.
